Make it British Live! announces new venue and dates

Make it British, a campaign set up by Kate Hills to encourage more people to buy British and make in the UK, has announced that Make it British Live! will take place next year at the prestigious Business Design Centre in London’s Islington in 2019 from 29-30 May.

“The move to the Business Design Centre presents a great opportunity for UK manufacturers to showcase what they do in a beautiful venue that is filled with natural light and steeped in history. Our new home will help us to realise our ambitions of expanding the show into product areas other than just fashion and textiles, to keep up with the demand for local manufacturing post-Brexit,” explained Kate Hills, founder of Make it British.

Make it British Live! began in 2014 and was originally called Meet the Manufacturer. In 2018 it changed its name to Make it British Live! to more closely align the event with the Make it British website and to reflect its mission to encourage more businesses to make in Britain.

The first trade show took place in a small warehouse at The Old Truman Brewery in East London with just 56 exhibitors. Next year, Make it British Live! expects to welcome well over 200 exhibitors from across the fashion and homeware sectors.

“We are delighted to be welcoming Make It British to the Business Design Centre in 2019,” said BDC Executive Director, Max Bull. “We have seen a record number of shows choosing the BDC and this is an excellent edition that I have followed since its launch back in 2014. We are excited to have an opportunity to support Kate and her team on their biggest edition to date in 2019 and welcome such an innovative and market-leading show.”

Kate, a former fashion buyer, founded a website called Make it British in 2011 as a platform for promoting UK manufacturers and British-made brands. Make it British now includes events, such as Make it British Live! and regional Make it British forums, along with an extensive Make it British membership and directory and online training.